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The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) requires two 400-word essays of its applicants. The first essay’s topic—“tell us your story”—is so open-ended that it will likely be challenging for some candidates, especially considering the limited word count. IMD’s second essay is more traditional, asking applicants what they hope to gain from the program. Candidates … Read More  

The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin requires two brief yet revelatory written essays from its applicants. Combined, the essay prompts cover the core topics of why you need an MBA, why you want to attend McCombs, what you value, and how you will contribute. For the program’s first essay, … Read More  

Shari Hubert, Associate Dean, Admissions at Duke Fuqua, joins The mbaMission Podcast to explain how Fuqua evaluates MBA applicants, from the “25 Random Facts” essay and authentic AI use to academic readiness, recommendations, and finding a community where you can thrive.

Applicants to the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business must provide two short-answer responses (essentially, mini essays) of just 200 words each. The school’s first prompt focuses on what you believe is an important aspect of your personality or character, while the second demands a clear explanation of your professional goals. In addition, you … Read More  

Yale School of Management (SOM) is one of the few top MBA programs that give candidates just one required application essay with which to make an impression on the admissions committee. The school offers applicants a choice of three topics to, as the committee states, “ensure that you’re able to write about something important to … Read More